


Towards Normality

by 10k_au



Category: Z Nation (TV)
Genre: AU, F/M, dad!10k, happy family AU, redk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-18
Updated: 2016-11-18
Packaged: 2018-08-31 18:43:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8589541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/10k_au/pseuds/10k_au
Summary: AU where 10k and Red are bringing up their own baby alongside 5k.





	

The grass rustles gently in the breeze. 10k crouches down, letting it sway in front of his face, the most convenient camouflage to hide him from the animals that he was stalking. 5k sits next to him, almost vibrating with excitement as he watches a squirrel hop down to the lowest branch of a tree. He straightens up just a little and aims his slingshot.

“No.” 10k takes a hold of his arm gently, pulling him back down beside him. “Let me show you something.” He takes his slingshot, lines it up for a kill shot and then shifts slightly, letting the cog that the sling was holding fly. It hit the squirrel in the eye, and it stayed perched on the branch for a moment before falling, stiff to the ground.

“You wanna hit it in the eye” He says, passing the slingshot back. “That way we get more meat that we can eat. 5k caws and then smiles, running off to find more squirrels. 10k watches him go and then he stands up, pacing over to the one that he’d shot out of the tree. He picks it up by its little paws and looks into its eyes, pulling out the cog. It looks sad, as though it had known it was about to die. For a moment he feels guilty, but then he remembers that he has to feed his family. There was no efficient way to go without meat in the apocalypse. You needed the protein to keep yourself alive, otherwise you just withered away.

He shook his head and turned the animal, holding it by the tail instead and straightening up. The sun hit his face, warming his skin and making him smile. Today felt as though it was going to be a good day. He loved going out to hunt at sunrise, He always had, because it was like a tiny bubble of peace and tranquillity. Especially when there wasn’t any zombies around. 5k had decided only recently that he wanted to start accompanying him, 10k got the impression that he wanted to be just like him. Perhaps it had dawned on him that 10k might not always be so lucky and that maybe he would have to be the man of the house instead.

“Pa!”

10k turns, grinning as 5k comes dashing towards him, one hand waving in the air. He held up the squirrel to show him that he’d retrieved it.

“I got this one, did you catch anymore?” He asks, noticing that the smaller version of him was having a little difficulty getting through the dense grass. He nods and pulls something around from behind him. ten squirrels. Each one has a tiny wheel planted centrally in its eye. 10k lets out a long, low whistle and raises an eyebrow.

“Wow.” He mutters. “Well done.” He reaches out, hoping to take the squirrels from him. But he frowns and turns his body away so that 10k can’t reach them. He shakes his little head. No. He wants to carry them. 10k tries not to laugh, biting at his lip, and 5k holds his hand out, asking for the other animal.

“You sure mate?”

“Yes. Please.”

5k doesn’t use his words often, he much prefers to caw at everybody. But when he really wants to, he’s very able. 10k laughs and passes it to him, watching him add it to the bunch and then struggle to heave them over his shoulder. Then he turns and tries to carry them back into the grass.

“Hey!” 10k calls. He turns back, eyebrows raised as if in questioning. “If you’re going to carry all of those, then I’m going to have to carry something too!”

“What are you going to carry?” 5k asks. 10k grins and rushes forward, bundling him up into his arms, heart melting as he hears him giggle. He then throws him up, lifting him onto his shoulders.

“Don’t drop me!” The boy exclaims, holding on tight to 10k’s head with his free hand, still grasping the squirrels with the other.

“Can’t promise anything!”

By the time they get back to the camp, the sun has risen fully, shining through the trees and scattering patterns on the dirt path. In the opening, Red was sat by a fire. It looked as though she was boiling water, a pot balanced precariously on some sticks, steaming above the flames. She looked amazing today, not that she didn’t normally. She’d thrown her hood down and her hair was threaded with little red flowers. She was a Goddess, 10k thought. How had he managed to bag her?

“We’re back!” He called, covering the last few metres. She looked up, smiled and gave them a little wave.

“Hey!” She laughed, “Welcome home!” As 10k put 5k on the ground, she came over and wrapped her arms around him, pecking him on the cheek.

“Ask us if we caught anything” 10k mumbled.

“No.”

“Go on! Ask us!” he encouraged. Red rolled her eyes and grinned, punching him lightly in the chest.

“Did you catch anything, dearest?” Her voice was laced with sarcasm and it made 10k feel fuzzy inside. He smirked and pointed to 5k, who tried to hold the squirrels up, his arm wouldn’t stretch out fully, but the pride on his face was undeniable.

“11!” He shouted.

“Oh my god!” Red’s face dropped into surprise. “How the hell did you manage that?” 10k shrugged, and Red went back over to the fire, followed closely by 5k who began to recount the events of the morning, littered with exaggerations. 10k looked to the pot of boiled water and slipped his rifle off of his back, wandering over to look at the bottle of milk that was sat in it.

“Time to feed the baby?” He asked, pushing it where it floated in the water, seeing if it was the right temperature.

“Oh.” Say’s red “Yeah, give me a moment.” She’s cleaning up 5k with a cloth, he’s covered in squirrel blood, so much so that he looks like a little serial killer. 10k hadn’t noticed that before, perhaps he was just used to the dirt and muck of the apocalypse.

“It’s alright, I got her.” He said, pulling the bottle out of the water and shaking it off before trying a drop of milk on his wrist to check that it wasn’t too hot. He made his way over to the little carrier at a distance from the fire, the other side of the log that Red and 5k were using. It was made out of lace and cotton, so pretty. And clean as well. They couldn’t believe their luck when they’d stumbled across the baby care shop just before Lily had been born. Now he looked at her laid there, so peaceful and calm, and he couldn’t believe that he’d been so lucky to have this little family of his own.

“Can I help?!” 5k asks, running over to the cot, arms outstretched and now spotless. 10k’s eyes widen and he rushes across, holding 5k back and stopping him from picked Lily up.

“I think I can manage” He mumbles. “Why don’t you go and help Red gut the squirrels, huh?” He hopes that his words won’t upset him, and it seems like they don’t as his eyes light up and he runs back to her, pleased as punch with all of the new responsibilities that he’s being given. 10k reaches down and picks the baby up, cradling her in his arms and cooing at her gently.

“Hello, my little one” he smiles down at her little pale face, big blue eyes surrounded by silken black eyelashes. He strokes her thin dark wispy hair and then shakes the bottle once more before offering the teat to her. She closes her mouth around it and makes a happy gurgling noise, sucking gently. He smiles wider, loving holding her. He felt the same way every single time he was around her. A proud Dad already, so happy that she even existed. She was the most perfect thing that he’d ever seen in his life.

“Ouch!”

10k spins, looking over to where 5k was cradling his hand. He looks on with concern as Red takes his arm and tuts, wrapping something around his palm where he’d sliced it open cutting into the squirrels.

“You need to be more careful.” She tells him, giving her a lecturing look. A true mother. 10k was proud of her too, for coping with pregnancy and birth in this devastated world. Then looking after two kids with no prior childcare experience. “Your baby sister needs you around, you can’t be reckless.” 5k nods and apologises quietly.

“I’m okay.” He tells her, taking his hand back and cradling it in his lap. “I’ll go slower.”

10k sends him a little smile and then goes back to watching Lily feed. He hums a little tune and then leans down to kiss her on her forehead. 

“How’re you doing, my little 2k?” He asks, watching the twinkle in her little eyes dance. He looks up to find Red staring across at him, brow furrowed.

“Stop calling my daughter 2k.” She tells him “Seriously this time, I don’t want her getting used to it.” 10k grins and then pouts in mock sadness. She finishes her bottle and he cuddles her gently before putting her back into the cot where she slowly closes her eyes, fists clenches around her blanket. He almost doesn’t want to leave her, but eventually he manages to pull himself away and move a few steps over to the others.

He sits down in-between Red and 5k, putting one arm around both of them. Red leans into him, resting her head on his chest, and they both watch 5k as he concentrates on carefully removing the entrails from the bodies of the animals he had caught earlier on.

“I love you guys.” He mumbles. “We’re going to make it through this damn apocalypse. I promise you.”

“I love you too.” They both chorus back, red reaching over to stroke Lily’s cheek.


End file.
